1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of medical devices and more specifically relates to a bottle and syringe guide holder system, an assistive device that is designed to conveniently couple a syringe and medicine bottle. The device is primarily for use by diabetics as a means of securing the syringe when sliding the bottle up to meet the syringe tip in order to fill it with insulin, and then sliding the bottle back out; the process requiring a minimum of dexterity.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many individuals have infirmities. Diabetes is one such infirmity. Diabetes affects more than 23 million people nationwide at an annual health-care cost of over $100 million. A disorder in the body's ability to use blood sugar or glucose, which is the main source of energy for the human body, diabetes can also be a serious risk factor for various forms of cardiovascular disease. The most essential element in fighting the detrimental effects of diabetes is insulin. Secreted by the pancreas, insulin is a natural hormone that is required by the body's cells in order to remove and utilize glucose from the blood. Glucose provides the energy cells need to carry out their many functions and without insulin, the system fails.
Those who suffer from diabetes lack the ability to acquire and utilize the glucose in the blood, thus causing their glucose levels to rise. For those who have type 1 diabetes, their pancreas cannot produce enough insulin and thus additional insulin therapy is required. Those who suffer type 2 diabetes do indeed produce insulin, but their cells simply do not respond properly to the insulin. As such, insulin also may be utilized by those who suffer type 2 diabetes to overcome the resistance of the cells to insulin. By reducing the concentration of glucose in the blood cells and increasing the uptake of this glucose, the administration of insult can prevent or reduce the long-term complications of diabetes, including damage to the blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves.
In order to administer insulin, most diabetics have to utilize a syringe to extract the insulin from a small glass vial. The top of the vial typically is covered with a rubber gasket and retaining ring, through the center of which the user plunges the syringe's needle in order to extract the proper amount of medication needed to treat their symptoms. While this process may sound relatively simple, many diabetics encounter challenges when attempting to use a syringe and insulin vial. Specifically, for those who suffer limited mobility, tremors brought on by illness or age, or even suffer poor eyesight, it can be extremely challenging to complete this process. As can be imagined, holding an insulin vial in one, unsteady hand, and attempting to pierce it with a sharpened need with the other can result in the user hitting the metal banding that surrounds the rubber gasket, breaking the needle point and resulting in the costly waste of an expensive syringe. In worse case scenarios, the user may jab their own hand or fingers with the needle, causing serious pain and injury.
Various attempts have been made to solve the above-mentioned problems such as those found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,876,380 to Steven J. Manganini et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,582 to Thomas R Davison et al; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,122,722 to John A. O Neill et al. This art is representative of assistive devices. None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the invention as claimed.
Ideally, an assistive device should be user-friendly and, yet would operate reliably and be manufactured at a modest expense. Thus, a need exists for a reliable assistive device that couples a syringe and medicine bottle primarily for use by diabetics as a means of securing the syringe when sliding the bottle up to meet the syringe tip in order to fill it with insulin, and then sliding the bottle back out and thereby avoiding the above-mentioned problems.